1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to corrosion sensors for cables, such as suspension bridge cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
A significant problem relevant to the infrastructures of a country, including the United States, is the ability to monitor the corrosion rates of cables used in suspension and cable-stay bridges. Corrosion of main cables of suspension bridges is the main and most challenging problem that bridge owners face today. Failure of a main cable of a suspension bridge corresponds to the failure of the entire bridge. Replacement of a cable is a very costly operation, with a cost around $200 million per bridge. Unfortunately, cable deterioration is happening and there is no means to reliably assess it and control it. Many of these monumental bridges (usually cable suspension bridges are quite large) have already passed their expected service life and, because of the importance they have gained in our infrastructure system (such as in New York City), they must be kept fully operational. Because there is not a reliable sensor that can be directly used in such applications, bridge cable maintenance is done in a very crude fashion, by opening the cable at those locations that are suspected to be corroded and pouring oil products into the cable.